Discussion

A Good Indian Buffet On Devon

A friend and I are headed to Devon later this afternoon for lunch and want to do one of the bufftets. The last time I went to the Viceroy of India and enjoyed our buffet. Anyone have recommendations for places that serve a buffet for under $10? I will be happy to report back on our lunch this afternoon,

There was something noticeably different in the seasoning and flavors during my last couple of visits. Just as I suspected, they hired a new chef...to coincide with the newly remodeled restaurant and banquet hall located upstairs. Addiitonally, the longtime waiter seemed rather uncomfortable with the recent changes.

Tiffin is over-hyped and more about the trendier decor. I think that Tiffin's higher end look has shaken things up along Devon, much like the complete revamping of Greektown several years back. Perhaps it had something to do with Viceroy's newly remodeled higher end space...purely speculation on my part.

After numerous very good visits to Tiffin for their buffet lunch over the past ten or so years, I went a year ago and it was only so-so, in terms of the desirability of the dishes selected as well as the quality of the preparation. Not *bad*, exactly, but a decline from their previously higher level of quality. I was rather disappointed and have not been back there since.

One thing Tiffin does slightly differently from other places is that they bring tandoori chicken to the table, cooked to order, instead of stacked on a steam table. The advantage, obviously, is that it arrives fresh. However, I don't think that you can ask for seconds, although I admit I've never asked and I could be wrong about that.

I've continued going to Mount Everest in downtown Evanston throughout the same period and it has been consistently good. Obviously, it's not on Devon, as requested here.

Last year I went for lunch to Mysore Woodlands, a strictly vegetarian restaurant on Devon, and found that they do not have a buffet. I thought the food was just adequate, and would not particularly recommend it.

I have not been to Viceroy of India and am interested in trying it. I'm also interested in hearing where the OP went today and how he liked it.

I ended up going to the Viceroy of India for our buffet lunch. The cost was $9.95 and included nan and tandori chicken. I especially enjoyed the butter chicken and samosas. The only thing I thought was below average was the goat dish they served. They offer 2 meat dishes, approximately 5 vegetarian dishes, salad and soup. I was very happy with the mango ice cream, strawberry mousse and rice pudding for dessert. The service was attentive and I would give the place a strong recommendation for it's buffet. The only thing I would like was a spicy dish or two included with their buffet. The dishes were flavorful but none had the spicy flavor that I enjoy. Is this because they tone down their dishes for a buffet.

I love Viceroy on Devon!!!!! I've tried them all (buffets) but always come back here for more... i have not noticed any change in quality since their renovation and supposed new chef.....I like that they have 2 varieties of rice on the buffet...the tikka masala is the best...the tandoori they bring on sizzling platters is delicious and there are several vegetarian options....My only dismay is that they don't have samosa's on the buffet...so i have to eat the so-so pakora's to get my deep-fried fix....The restaurant is very clean, and the staff friendly...The Mango Ice Cream is unbelieveably good- I just don't like that it's in a chafing dish and that you have to hack at it with a metal spoon!!!! They should just serve that!!!

I find it spicy enough for American tastes....believe me I bring xtra tissues!!!

About to cause a ruckus, but hey, opinions are what this board is for and I just can't help it. Had dinner at Viceroy on Weds with a mixed Indian/Caucasian group and it was less than average. I don't want to say bad, but the Lamb Vindaloo was nearly inedible--I needed a saw to cut the lamb and the flavor was flat. The Channa Masala was this weird dark brown color (rather than the usual vibrant red) and totally tasteless. The chutneys were very watery (like they were saving money by watering down), looked like they were not fresh-made, and also lacked good flavor. Finally, the samosas (lamb) were wrapped in a springroll wrapper and crunchy--granted I love a good springroll but this was not what I expected. The Bhelphuri was OK, but again had this kind of off color to it. The garlic naan was good, but let's be honest it's really hard to screw up naan. ADditionally, the place has ZERO ventilation and smells like stale curry. Finally we asked for spicy food--heck we were with Indian people and it was not.

A ruckus? All opinions are welcome here! I find opinions particularly useful when someone says "I did/didn't like this because..." and explains exactly what was good/bad about specific dishes as well as the overall dining experience. This post does this very well!